18th International Conference of FFC

Functional Food Center is pleased to announce its 18th International Conference "Functional and Medical Foods for Chronic Diseases: Bioactive Compounds and Biomarkers".The conferencewill be held at Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School,Boston, USA on September 15-16, 2015. This conference will bring together experts in medicine, biology, and the food industry to discuss the functional foods with bioactive compounds as dietary interventions for chronic diseases.

Main Conference Topics/Sessions

Session: Functional Foods and Obesity

Epidemiology of obesity

The modern mechanisms of obesity; energy metabolism and obesity; neurobiological mechanisms of obesity; microbiological mechanisms of obesity; pathophysiologic mechanisms of obesity

Biomarkers of obesity

The effects of functional food and bioactive compounds on biomarkers of obesity

Session: Functional Foods and Diabetes

Epidemiology of diabetes

The modern mechanisms of diabetes

Biomarkers of diabetes

The effects of functional food and bioactive compounds on biomarkers of diabetes

Session: Functional Foods and Neurological Diseases

Epidemiology of mental and neurological diseases

Mechanisms of neurological diseases

Biomarkers of different mental and neurological diseases

The effects of functional food and bioactive compounds on biomarkers of neurological diseases

Functional foods for mental and neurological diseases

Session: Functional Foods and Cardiovascular diseases (CVD)

Epidemiology of CVD

Biomarkers of different cardiovascular diseases

The effects of functional food and bioactive compounds on biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases

Session: Functional Foods and Cancer

Epidemiology of Cancer

Biomarkers of different types of cancer

The effects of functional food and bioactive compounds on biomarkers of different types of cancer

Jing X. Kang, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Laboratory for Lipid Medicine and Technology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States

Venue and Accommodation

The conference will take place at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School on September 15 & 16, 2015. We are offering hotel rooms throughout the weekend at the Inn at Longwood Medical, a popular hotel that is a quick 7 minute walk away from Harvard Medical School. Please read on to find more information regarding the venue, hotel, and possible places to visit while staying in Boston!

Venue

Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School

Established in 1636, Harvard University is one of the most prestigious and widely respected universities in the world. Harvard is recognized as the oldest university in the United States, and has maintained unparalleled influence in all areas of academia. It has produced alumni ranging from Nobel Prize winner T.S. Eliot, to current U.S. President Barack Obama. In the campus' 5,038 acres, there are 12 degree-granting schools offering concentrations in various studies, such as business, engineering, law and education. One of the most notable schools Harvard offers, however, is the esteemed Harvard Medical School. As the United States’ top research medical school, Harvard Medical School has produced 15 Nobel Prize recipients since its establishment in 1782. For over 200 years, Harvard Medical School has been the capital for innovations, advancements and achievements in the medical field, making it the ideal venue to host the 2015 Functional Foods Conference.

The Conference will be held at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center (77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA) at Harvard Medical School. Please refer to the campus map for directions. If you have general question about conference room location, direction, etc., please call conference center at 617-432-8990.

Accommodations: Hotel and Stay

The Inn at Longwood Medical

This family-owned hotel provides spacious guest rooms and suites designed to maximize comfort and provide visitors with modern amenities, including free Wi-Fi, free coffee and tea, free cable TV, and an extended bathroom. The hotel is located within walking distance of the Harvard Medical Center, where the conference will be held. It is also within walking distance to the T (Boston’s subway transportation), for easy travel to downtown Boston. If you prefer to stay around the area, there are many different restaurants located near the hotel, including the hotel’s own bar and grill. Brookline and Fenway are two popular neighborhoods within walking distance from the Inn that offer plenty of shopping, dining, and nightlife. The close proximity to Harvard Medical Center, along with many other research labs and facilities, make the Longwood Medical the ideal place to lodge during this symposium.

Individual attendees will make reservations for the event directly with the hotel at 1-(800)-468-2378 or (617)-731-4700. You can also visit the hotel’s website and under “Reservations” you can fill out the boxes that say “Best Rate Guarantee” and enter the group code: FFCC0914

Cut-Off-Date:

The Inn at Longwood Medical agrees to hold your room until the CUT-OFF DATE ofAugust 14, 2015. At the cut-off date, the hotel will review the reservations for the event and release the unreserved rooms for general customers. For the attendees that missed the deadline, the hotel will determine whether or not it can accept reservations based on a space-and rate-availability determined from the group rate after the cut-off date.

Take exit 26 toward Storrow Drive, keep right at the fork and continue onto MA-28

Continue onto Storrow Drive and take the exit on the left toward Charlesgate, take a left

Continue onto Boylston Street

Turn right onto Park Drive

Take the first left onto Brookline Avenue

Turn left onto Longwood Avenue à The Inn at Longwood Medical will be on your right

Information for those arriving from other locations can be found here.

Walking directions from the Hotel to the Conference can be found here.

Tourism

Boston

Boston is one of America’s oldest cities. Since 1822, it served as the economic and cultural hub of New England. Over 617,000 residents inhabit this city and millions more visit each year for the chance to immerse themselves in Boston’s rich history and vibrant culture. Home to many world-class educational institutions such as Harvard University, Boston College, Berklee College of Music, and MIT, the Boston area is a mecca for academic excellence. In addition, Boston boasts some of the best inpatient hospitals in the world. Through museums, nightlife, restaurants, and sports teams, Boston offers all the amenities and excitement of a modern metropolitan city, while managing to maintain its welcoming atmosphere and historic roots.

Places to Visit

Newbury Street:Boston’s most captivating street offers eight blocks of world-renowned restaurants, coffee shops, nightlife, and shopping. With a wide variety of destinations that accommodate all ages and price ranges, Newbury Street has something for everyone. Try Stephanie’s on Newbury for a meal with a view, or just take a walk along the street to soak up all its unique charm and ambiance.

Duck Tours:Feeling lazy? Take the Boston Duck Tours that take you to various popular tourist spots on both land and sea! Here you can explore a variety of destinations and capture beautiful photos without ever having to leave your seat.

Freedom Trail:For a one-of-a-kind history lesson, follow the freedom trail to see see 16 different historical sites. This 4 km walking trail includes museums, meetinghouses, and churches. Visitors can take a self-guided tour, or opt for a guided one depending on personal preference and time restraints.

Faneuil Hall:Located in the heart of downtown Boston, you can experience the marketplace that has been hosting shoppers since 1742. This eclectic urban marketplace lets you dine, shop, and even enjoy some of Boston’s best street performers all at once. Additionally, its location right across from the New England Aquarium allows you to see two prominent Boston attractions in one afternoon.

Museums: With its vast historic and academic roots, it is no wonder Boston holds a wide array of museums. The Boston Museum of Science features permanent and rotating exhibits exploring topics such as Cosmic Light and Nanotechnology. They also offer planetarium and IMAX shows. For those who prefer art, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts has collections ranging from ancient Egypt to modern American, as well as everything in between. If neither of those options interests you, there are a multitude of other museums including the Boston Fire Museum, John F. Kennedy Presidential Museum and the USS Constitution Museum.

Transportation

MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is an extremely popular form of transportation within the city of Boston. This system includes the subway, train, and bus lines. There are a number of passes that can be purchased for those who are only staying temporarily such as the 7-day Link Pass, which costs just $19 USD and includes unlimited traveling within the week.

Car Rentals

Cars can be rented near the airport from different companies such as Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, and Hertz. Some of these companies also offer a pick-up service where they come pick you up and take you to the renting location to get your rental car. There are also other website such as Expedia, Kayak, and VroomVroomVroom that offer cheaper options from the same companies, so be sure to visit those if you choose to rent a car!

If you would like a cheaper option that also lets you get some exercise, consider biking in Boston! Boston prides itself on being a bike-friendly city, so regardless if you’re a beginner, intermediate, or expert biker, there are diverse routes for everyone. By using the bike-share system, you can rent a bike and take off. There are over 40 different locations at which bikes can be rented and once you’ve signed up, you can take it and go anywhere!

Taxis

Taxis are also an option for those who just want to get places conveniently without worrying about renting anything. Taxis can be easily found all around the city and there are a number of different taxi companies available -just make sure to use one with a Medallion on the cab so you don’t get a bad ride! The rates are consistent amongst all the taxi companies, the first 1/7 of a mile is $2.60 USD and every additional 1/7 of a mile will be $0.40 USD.

16:30 - 16:50 Shao-Ping Nie, PhD, Professor, State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, China. In vitro and in vivo studies on digestion and fermentation of polysaccharide from seeds of Plantago asiatica L. with its beneficial effects on intestinal health

11:30 - 11:55 Debasis Bagchi, PhD, Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of College of Pharmacy, Houston, TX, USA. Nutraceutical and functional food regulations in the United States with a special emphasis on GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status and label claims

13:30 - 13:55 Young Chul Kim, PhD, Professor of Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. An alteration in cytochrome P450 enzymes in liver steatosis induced by intake of a high-carbohydrate/ fat-free diet after food deprivation and its pharmacological significance

13:55 - 14:20 Abraham Amlogu, PhD, University of Westminster, London, UK. A comparative study: Long and short term effect of a nutrition sensitive approach to delay the progression of HIV to AIDS among People Living with HIV (PLWH) in Nigeria